Yoshiki: Under the Sky is directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James.
Featuring the skyline of Los Angeles, Yoshiki: Under the Sky is a film that explores the intimate relationship between personal pain and music. International musician Yoshiki shares the way he was able to channel his personal tragedies into art in the form of music.
The film is a music documentary with the collaboration of other world-renowned stars: Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers.
Yoshiki shows his skills as a composer, pianist, guitarist, and drummer. The duo with The Chainsmokers’ drummer Matt McGuire is truly epic. Yoshiki’s talent allows him to blend effortlessly with different styles of music. He can easily create rock, pop, or classical music. And now, he does his directorial debut, performing some of his most famous songs with a wide variety of artists.
The cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert enhances the inspirational message of the film. It’s a poetic combination of light and color, as stunning as the music itself. The visuals intertwined with music become a lyrical element to elevate the value of this production.
The devastation from personal loss has been a constant in Yoshiki’s life, and somehow, his lyrics create some sort of magic that talks to his fans all over the world. Yoshiki’s music is an evidence that some of the most beautiful art comes from a place of pain. One touching moment of the film is the message Yoshiki shares with a Japanese fan whose wife is terminally ill. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s also an example of how music can be uplifting, even when we go through difficult experiences. And that’s exactly how certain music becomes the soundtrack of one’s life.
The closing of the film couldn’t be more sublime. Voices from around the world join Yoshiki’s interpretation of “Endless Rain”, a song that reflects the spirit of the film. It penetrates your skin, going straight to your heart. It’s a poem to the healing power of music, transcending the pain, no matter how deep it might be.
Yoshiki: Under the Sky
Directed by Yoshiki. Produced by Sid Ganis, Mark Ritchie, Doug Kluthe, and Aaron Latham-James. Starring Yoshiki, Sarah Brightman, Jane Zhang, Scorpions, SixTONES, Nicole Scherzinger, St. Vincent, Sugizo, Hyde, Lindsey Stirling, and The Chainsmokers. Cinematography by Ken Whales, Michael Pessah, and Rachel Bickert. Edited by Spencer Lee, Takashi Uchida, David Swift, Merritt Lear, Jim Yukich, Claire Didier, Imran Virani, and Bryan Roberts. Music by Yoshiki.
Production company: A List Media Entertainment.
Distributed by: Abramorama.
